I upgraded my seat today. Its the Spec Avatar Expert. Surprising softer as I read its firmer than the Gel Avatar but to my feel its about the same. Looks very sharp to me, prior to this I had a Cannondale Quick Hybrid Saddle which is way too bulky of a look. I can't ride those plywood seats that are on a lot of road bikes especially by Specialized.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...psa550f449.jpg

Edit- this does not fit, I have to push the saddle way too foward and its past the safety mark. So back goes the Cannondale Saddle.

I didn't realise that saddles had a safety mark?

How does that work exactly?

I can't see why it would be an issue on where the rails line up to your seatpost.

There are marks on the rails and you really should not go foward or back of the marks on the rails. I think the reason I have gone thru many saddles is the seatpost of the Carbon Expert, its pushed back. For some reason the Cannondale Hybrid Saddle fits perfect.

2702,

Why would you need to push your saddle all the way forward on its rails? Are you trying to shorten reach to the bars, or ... ?? Just wondering.

Yes, trying to shorten the reach, I dont like to stretch out at all on my bikes.
Wonky back from a lot of years at a desk job.

The seat position forward/back should be set to get your knees directly over the crank. If you want to shorten the reach to the handlebars then you want to buy a shorter stem. Maybe you are adjusting the wrong thing? I would suggest you get a professional fit/geometry done at a local bike shop.

Another option is get the Pave post with zero offset, but I still think your seat that far forward is not a good idea.

The latest upgrade is adding more S-Works FACT carbon not to my bike, but my feet! Word to the wise, don't ever try these shoes on unless you want to lighten your wallet by $430. Yup, that extra $30 is for the SL footbed because the one they give you with the shoes is for flat feet. If you have any amount of arch in your foot you have to buy a separate footbed. The result is VERY comfortable.

http://i.imgur.com/pXxxIWu.jpg

Does a carbon seatpost make a tremendous difference vs an aluminum/allow seatpost?

The common knowledge in general about carbon vs. alum is carbon transmits less vibrations. My hands get numb easily from a motorcycle accident when I was younger. I switched the alum handlebars out for a carbon version and my hands last noticeably longer before they get numb, and when they do not as bad. The same concept should hold for the seat post. So far I've only got 10 miles on the seat post, but plan to put 20 on it today and more this week. I will report back, but the first impression is yes it will make the pavement seem smoother by transferring less vibration into your butt.

Then there is the obvious weight advantage of carbon over alum.

Depends on the rest of the bike. If you have a harsh riding bike,you may notice a difference. Your butt has more padding than your hands,plus you have the seat to soak up vibration. If you swap to a CF post,make sure to use carbon paste and a torque wrench when installing.

Good point, and something I forgot to mention. My local Specialized dealer gave me a small sample of "carbon assembly paste" to install the seat post. It basically felt like grease with sand in it. The idea is to add a light amount of friction, so the post doesn't want to rotate or slide once installed.

I had these for a week and they are like wearing slippers! I eventually sold them on eBay at a serious loss because they were not wide enough for my big ole feet.. I've since went back to my 45.5 mega Sidi shoes but am considering trying the S-Works XC or S-Works Trail versions..

Tip: Buy the shoes direct from Specialized.. If they don't fit you can exchange them or get a refund within 30-days even if you've wore the crap out of them.. I purchased mine though my LBS and had to sell them at a loss.. If I decide to try the XC or Trail version I will be ordering direct..

So true. Cracked seatpost later, I bought some FinishLine friction gel and torque wrench for the new carbon seatpost.

Stopped by my Specialized dealer today and had them fine tune my new seat post and saddle adjustments. They also mounted my SPD cleats on the new S-Works shoes and out the door I went for a short 20 mile evening ride. So far I'm in love with all of the above. The seat feels amazing, no pain or soreness. The shoes I just can't say enough about, holy crap I was blown away right off the bat! Zero buyer remorse there. It just feels like every single bit of wattage you pump out with your legs makes it into the pedals. I had no idea the stiffness of the shoe sole would make such a huge difference. Guess that's why the S-Works shoe is one of the most winning Tour de France shoes out there.

While at the dealer I asked them to make a change to the stem. They rotated the stem sleeve so that -4 was in the back (pervasively +4 in the back), which dropped the stem angle. You would think this would put more pressure on my wrists, but what I discovered in the post ride is less pain in my wrists and considerably less numbness in my hands. Looking forward to this weekend and putting 100+ miles on the bike to further try out the new bits.

Nice ride and upgrades. Curious what size your bike is and what it weighs...

Thanks.

Mine is a small frame. I will see about weighing it when I'm at the dealer next week. Got to take it in for service, getting some creaking from the BB30 bottom bracket.

Ok for the next upgrade installment I have a Easton EC90 SL carbon stem. I mentioned on page 1 this would likely be my next upgrade, however I wasn't planning to upgrade until maybe next month. I then made the mistake (and fortune) of browsing eBay to find a seller with a brand new EC90 SL stem for $152 shipped. From what I found online these retail for approx $216-256, so I figured I couldn't pass up this deal. It arrived in 2 days from Colorado.

Before (Specialized Alum 90mm Stem):

http://i.imgur.com/IerUnKU.jpg

After (Easton EC90 SL 100mm Stem):

http://i.imgur.com/gTPHcqc.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6I6OLEJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xXojkft.jpg

So the when I had both off the bike I quickly realized the stock stem is not 100mm, but in fact is 90mm. I honestly guessed and didn't accurately measure the stock stem before ordering, also it's not marked anywhere I could find. The good news is I actually wanted to try a slightly longer stem, so it's not the end of the world. If it doesn't work out I'm sure I can get my money back. A open box/previously installed EC90 SL stem sold same day on eBay for slightly more than I paid. A trick 5 mile ride around the neighbor late this evening, and so far I'm happy with the more stretched out reach.

Install was very straight forward. The "Top Lock" technology on the Easton stem makes the install easier. You simply torque down completely the top two bolts for the handlebar first with the bottom bolts loose. This basically bottoms out the top of the bracket. Easton claims this creates a stronger and more rigid connection between the stem and handlebar. Finally torque the bottom two and you are finished.

Weights:

Stock alum stem: 146.200 grams

Easton EC90 SL stem: 125.150 grams

Net savings = 21.050 grams

When you work on your bike, and especially with carbon parts, a torque wrench to properly tighten the bolts is a must. All my torque wrenches are for motorcycles and cars, and way too high torque values. So I did some research and found two popular options; CDI and SuperB. I selected the SuperB because it comes with a plastic hard case for storage, it's made in Taiwan vs. China (they are not the same thing), and each came with an assortment of hex bits. I picked up the 5 N-m and 9 N-m versions for the two different torques values on the stem install. They worked awesome during the install and I was happy with the quality in hand of both tools.

http://i.imgur.com/e4NVUEn.jpg

Total weight savings so far is 364.585 grams which is equivalent to 0.8 pounds. Very good progress and you haven't even upgraded the wheelset which would probably drop more than a pound.

Thanks. Carbon wheels are next (and pretty much all that is left). I think I'm going to try a set of 50mm clinchers from Farsports or Yoeleo.

Out on a ride today. I'm definitely happy with the carbon stem, bars, and seat post. The ride quality is great, and my hands don't get as numb.

http://i.imgur.com/laInYRu.jpg

Well if you are getting numb hands still.... seeking a more upright position usually does the trick from what i have read. A stem riser would help or a riser handlebar.

Haven't even had mine for a week yet but made a couple of upgrades.
I got the Romin Comp Gel...still one of my favorite saddles.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps77c750ba.jpg
I got these Keen spd sandles to with my Crank Bros Mallets. Very cool and comfy.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...psc08cc075.jpg
Here's my Giant as it sits today. As far as upgrades, I'm thinking about carbon seatpost, new stem and shorter handlebar.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m...ps718dc975.jpg

I was thinking about the $430 price tag on the shoes the op upgraded to, and don't get it personally. Unless you are racing these shoes have no place on a hybrid . How much performance are you losing from platforms and a light pair of running or rugged cross shoes? Help me see the light. I've worn spd type shoes before and actually prefer platforms over them. I find platforms more comfortable and the ability to change feet position provides more comfort on longer rides. Not only that, walking on regular shoes is better should you decide to sight see or go in a store along the way. You might be a bit more efficient on clipless pedals but you lose a lot of versatility for when you want to walk around and possibly sight see off the bike. If you want efficiency and versatility I think the MTB style like the poster above with the GIANT is probably the best fit for most, not road. I'm just speaking from my experience though.

I was thinking maybe the LBS is selling the OP on some expensive stuff he really doesn't need.